The Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana, Samson Asaki Awingobit, has lauded the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) for raking in a profit of 18.1 billion cedis to government almost a year of deploying the system.
The revenue generated consist of mobilized revenues from total imports, petroleum imports, the Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of the GRA, the ESLA Plc and Non GRA revenues.
The commendation of the trade facilitation tool follows reports that the ICUMS had accrued to government in excess of 18.1 billion cedis in revenues at the end of April this year.
Available data indicates that, total revenues generated from total imports and petroleum imports for the period under review amounted to 11.1 billion cedis and 2.09 billion cedis respectively.
The Domestic Tax Revenue Division (DTRD) of GRA, ESLA Plc and Non-GRA revenues have also accrued an accumulated revenue amounting to 2.04 billion cedis, 2.2 billion cedis and 291 million cedis respectively.
This year between January and April alone, ICUMS generated 6.61 billion to the state, a figure Mr. Asaki said was an improvement on the old system.
The Importers and Exporters Association in a press release, noted that the revenues generated within the 11-month period was unprecedented and called for further support for the ICUMS from the various stakeholders in the trading community to exceed revenue targets in the coming years.
The Association called for further training of stakeholders to allow for better understanding of the ICUMS and that of future systems yet to be introduced.
“It’s also the hope of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana that, ICUMS will chalk more success in the coming year with the ultimate goal of making Ghana’s Ports the preferred hub for Trade in the Whole of Africa,” concluded the Association in its statement.
